The Wretched
by JoJo1
Summary: Rogue's defected to the brotherhood. What happens next? Sequel to "Terrible Lie"


**Disclaimer:** Lemme see...no, the X-men doesn't belong to me. Neither do the title since that one is stolen from Nine Inch Nails.  
**Archive:** Ask first and I'll say yes.  
**Feedback:** For this?  
**Author's notes:** Due to popular demand...a sequel to "Terrible Lie". NIN is still the blame for this... and I'll soon get back to "And then there was silence"...when I know how to write down the events in the upcoming chapter.  
**Many thanks:** To Autumn. She's the one responsible for my current NIN obsession.   
**Warning:** More than a tad dark...well, that's a given considered the inspirational source.   
**Another note**: What happened to the RR that this title was supposed to be part of...  


_Xavier POV_

* * *

Logan came back, at exactly the wrong time. He had been gone for six months and Rogue's been gone for 2. I know what's he gonna say. 

5..4..3..2..1.. 

"She's done what? Gone over to that fuckwit Magneto?" 

Knew it. 

"I'm afraid so Logan. She went missing about two months ago and left this note behind her." 

Logan reads through the note and I can't help but wonder what he's thinking. I could read his mind, and it sure is tempting but I won't do that. That wouldn't be right. 

"And you haven't tried to get her back from there? What she's saying here sounds a hell lot more what he would say than her." 

"That's what we thought too. At first. But then again, we don't really know her. There's a lot more to her than the face she shows to the world. She doesn't show more than she has to and who knows how much her absorbation of Eric and your personalities affected how she sees the world? And she was tough even before that. If not she would not have survived her months alone on the road." 

I see that Logan thinks that over before he answer. 

"Okay, Chuck. I see your point. It may be more to her in this than I'm willing to admit to myself but that doesn't answer my question. Have you tried to get her back from there?"   
"Yes. Or rather, we've tried to find the traces of her and the rest of the Brotherhood. Still no luck. They know how to shield themselves from both me, Jean and Cerebro so we have to rely on old-fashioned espionage to find them. But Eric's learned the hard way how to hide his traces. Until they are ready to do something for their cause I'm afraid we're out of luck." 

Logan pace the room back and forth, his claws extended, ready to claw anyone up that could be a part of why Rogue's changed. If she has changed at all. 

"Very well, Chuck. There's not much to be done right now but I will stay until they do decide to strike again. I don't know if there's anything I can do to make her see reason but I refuse to see her throw her life away like this."   
"I know, Logan. Your old room is still yours."   
"Later Chuck." 

I can't help but wonder. Logan is as much of a loner as people come, and still he stays here to save a girl from being accused of terrorism if she's ever caught in the act. A girl he hasn't known for all that long either. Well, there's a lot more to Logan than meets the eye too. At first he seems to be the kind of person that only cares about himself and no one else. He is not like that at all. In fact, he's a lot like Scott. Both of them are very private and does not make friends easily but once you have their friendship you know they'd willingly die to save you from any threat. Logan is practically defenseless against Eric but he'd take him on without second thoughts if anyone he cares about is being threatened by him. That takes a lot of devotion and I wonder if Logan himself realizes it or if he's just acting? It doesn't really matter though. He's a great friend to have on your side and I pity anyone ending up on his bad side. 

**Several months later - Logan POV**  
Well, what do you know? The months of waiting seems to be over. At least I hope so. At least there's some Brotherhood activity once again. Magneto managed to take over every broadcasting satellite orbiting the earth in one swift move, taking over every darn TV-channel in existance to deliver his message. The message that said that if the world didn't do his bidding we could kiss Washington goodbye. He didn't say in what way Washington would be destroyed but by now the world is only too familiar with what powerful mutants can do if they want to. 

Still, we're here to try to stop him. My part of the mission is to take out his bodyguard Creed and if Marie's there, to try to get her back to the jet. Suits me just fine. 

Except that things didn't turn out that way. Instead Creed and Marie worked together to take me out. The last thing I remember before everything went black is that Storm and Cyke did their utmost to get to us but were overwhelmed by an entire army of Brotherhood members. 

**An unknown amount of time later**  
I wake up and at first wonder where I am. Then I remember. The fight. Marie. Sabretooth. I'm all alone where I am. Whereever the hell that is. Then a door in the faraway wall opens and Marie comes in. 

"Long time no see, Logan". She sounds so distant. No emotion in her voice whatsoever. What has happened to you?   
"Yeah. Not the best kind of circumstances for a reunion is it, Marie?"   
"Marie's dead. Now there's only Rogue."   
"Don't give me that shit. She's in there somewhere." 

Holy shit! She punched me at the jaw and I went flying through the air. When did she become so strong? 

"Logan! Just shut up. You don't know what you're talking about."   
"So tell me. And don't hit me like that again."   
"Have you any fucking idea of what it was like for me at Xavier's? To be the outcast all the time? Seing Xavier's ideals getting my friends maimed and killed? To be seen as the ultimate weapon because a single touch could bring any enemy down?"   
"No. But what made you think it would be better here at the Brotherhood?"   
"I didn't know, but it could hardly be worse and I wanted to make a difference. A difference that Xavier couldn't provide. His heart is in the right place but his dreams are just that, dreams." 

She's not telling me the whole truth here. Something here happened that made it worse. 

"And? What is it that you're not telling me? It didn't turn out the way you wanted it to, did it?"   
"What do you know?"   
"Nothing. Except that you were not this strong last time I saw you."   
"I absorbed one person. Permanently. I have all her powers now and I could break your neck without breaking a sweat if I want to."   
"You're still not telling me everything." 

"She doesn't have to". I recognize that voice. Magneto.   
"She absobered Ms Danvers willingly. To be more of use for our cause. Unfortunately that means that Ms Danvers is no longer among the living. What I now need to know is whether you will join us willingly or if we should dump the body of the Wolverine somewhere." 

What to say? Either way I'm screwed. But differences aside, Magneto is an honourable man and he gives me 24 hours to decide in which way I'm screwed before he leaves. I don't think there's a way out of this. I'm on my own and there's no chance of Xavier being able to pinpoint my location if he can't find this place without me here. They've secured this place and themselves from telepaths as good as it's possible. 

I look at Marie and for a brief second I think I see Marie there and not just Rogue. Just a brief reminder of all the what abouts and all the might have beens. Just briefly before the cold eyes of Rogue is back in place. The eyes that say "Now you're one of us". She knows me. That I am a fighter and that I will join the Brotherhood if it is what separates me from life and certain death. 

But it still feel like as if God himself reached his fucking arm through the cold ceiling, just to push me down. Just to hold me down. 

Well, I don't have to think it through much. Which Marie, no Rogue, knew. For the moment I'm stuck in this hole, with the shit and the piss. It's hard to believe it could come down to this. Back at the beginning, like I'm still in that goddamn awful lab. 

I will fight though. One day I will be out of here again. One I will get Marie back. 

One day but not today. It will take a long time but one day... 


End file.
